1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to power distribution apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to power distribution apparatus having ganged power outlets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic equipment racks commonly consist of rectangular or box-shaped housings or rack structures. Electronic equipment is commonly mountable in such racks so that the various electronic components are aligned vertically one on top of the other in the rack. Often, multiple racks are oriented side-by-side, with each rack containing numerous electronic components and having substantial quantities of associated component wiring located both within and outside of the area occupied by the racks.
Power distribution units have long been utilized to supply power to the equipment in such racks. Power distribution units have also been designed to allow a user to remotely monitor and control the power distribution unit or devices attached to the power distribution unit. Examples of such power distribution units can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,506,573, 5,949,947, and 6,711,613.
One particularly common such power distribution unit consists of an elongated box housing that has one or more power inputs and a number of power outputs extending along the longitudinal face of the unit. This power distribution unit is designed to mount vertically adjacent or secured to the external rear side of the rack. In this fashion, the power supplied to the unit is then distributed through horizontally extending power outputs to the, typically, horizontally co-aligned electronic components mounted in the rack.
An example of such a prior power distribution unit is shown in FIG. 1 and is sold under the trademark Sentry POWER TOWER by Server Technology, Inc., of Reno, Nev. FIG. 1 shows this prior art Sentry POWER TOWER power distribution unit secured to the outer edge of a generally rectangular rack to supply power to electronic components mounted within the rack.
In addition to being mountable on the outside of a rack, certain power distribution units may be mounted on the inside of a rack, such as a RETMA rack for example. The design of the rack may limit how closely a power distribution unit may be mounted to frame of the rack itself. For example, certain housings, such as that shown in FIG. 2, have support braces or other features that limit how closely the power distribution unit can be placed to the side of the rack. If the power distribution unit is to be mounted more closely to the rack, multiple smaller power distribution units must typically be used in order to avoid a power distribution unit abutting the support brace or protrusion.
As previously stated, each power distribution unit typically contains a number of power outputs and at least one power input. The power distribution units may also contain other electronic components, such as fuses and monitoring devices. Typically, all of these electronic components must be wired together, which can create numerous problems and inefficiencies.
One such problem is that the size of the electronic components and the associated wiring may limit the dimensions and shape of the housing. A housing having a certain minimum size usually is required merely to hold the electronic components and wiring of the power distribution unit. The size of the housing can limit the location in which the power distribution unit can be mounted. For example, the power distribution unit may be too large for certain spaces. The size of the components and wiring may limit how many and what kind of components can be included in a power distribution unit. The housing typically must be sized such that the various electrical components do not make undesired contact with each other.
Such prior art power distribution units often require substantial time and effort to assemble because each electronic component is typically individually mounted in the housing. Furthermore, each electronic component is typically individually wired. The cost to build such devices may be influenced by material costs that are partially determined by factors such as the size of the housing, the amount of wiring in each device, and the amount of other materials, such as solder, needed to assemble each power distribution unit. In addition to possibly requiring greater assembly time, the numerous parts and connections in typical prior art power distribution units may result in a greater number of errors during the manufacturing process or a greater chance of equipment failure once the power distribution units are in use.
Some prior art power distribution units are protected by fuses or other devices to protect the power distribution unit and attached electronic devices against over-voltage conditions. Often, the fuses may only be checked and replaced by removing the power distribution unit from a rack and opening up the power distribution unit. In addition to possibly being time consuming and labor intensive, opening up the unit may violate a warranty on the unit.